In My Zone
by Therius
Summary: The third time was the worst.


The first time they heard the song was when they were driving away from the once beautiful city of Insomnia.

They were all in shock. Ignis had chosen not to speak and focus on his driving, as there was no point in speaking when none of them had the heart to reply. Gladiolus focused on the landscape as it blurred by. Although Ignis hated driving faster than the law told him, their circumstances had forced them to drive faster than the speed limit. Prompto was fiddling with the radio, constantly turning the volume up high then so quiet that they could barely hear the beat of the bass. Not even Noctis could bring himself to sleep as he usually enjoyed doing, instead slouching in his seat. They could not blame him; Hearing about the supposed death of his father had shocked him. Regis was a strong man, but it seemed that Niflheim had surpassed the deceased king's power, and the power of the great city itself.

Prompto flipped the channel on the radio, a long sigh passing through his lips. He sat up lightly in his seat, the advertisement just having ended to switch onto another song. His hand moved to turn the volume up once more, the blonde thinking that by this point Ignis would have stopped him because he had become an annoyance, turning the knob up gradually.

I've got sunshine in my pocket  
I'm just right here in my zone

He turned the volume up a bit more, lightly gnawing at his lower lip as he listened to the song. One glance at the rest of the group was enough to make up his mind: Prompto turned the volume on to full blast. Ignis sent him a look, hand reaching to turn the volume down. It was far too loud for his liking, and he was never a fan of the rap music that Prompto seemed to enjoy listening to. The blonde's own hand stopped him from reaching the knob.

"Hey, listen to it for a minute."

Sitting up a bit straighter in his seat, Prompto glanced back a second time, gaze lingering on the silent prince for a few more minute before he unbuckled his seatbelt and began to rise from his seat, one hand grasping the side of the car to steady himself.

"Prompto, are you stupid? I'm driving right now, this is no time for-"

"Shut up a minute and just listen, Iggy! It's… it's a nice song, don't you think?"

There was a strange glimmer in his eyes, like he had an idea in his mind. Ignis didn't like that look, because it usually ended up getting them in trouble one way or another. Prompto cast him a grin, turning around so he was facing the two men in the back.

"Cmon, it's catchy! The chorus isn't too hard either: I've got sunshine in my pocket, I'm just right here in my zone…"

"I've got Sade in my tapedeck, I'm just movin' right along…"

Prompto's blue eyes brightened as the other joined in on his singing.

"That's it, Gladio! All these haters really love me, they just pretend that they don't."

"'Cause I've got sunshine in my pocket-"

"-I'm just right here in my zone! "

It was that moment Prompto decided that the song was his favourite song.

The second time they heard the song Prompto was mumbling it under his breath while they were camping in Duscae.

It had been a few weeks after the attack in Insomina. Ignis had decided it was best that they lay low and avoid any of the Lucian cities for the time being. While laying low they would have to think up a counterattack that would put Niflheim in its place. Duscae wasn't a large region and had few residents, a leading factor in their decision to come to the area.

Noctis hated waking up early in the morning, but the others always dragged him out of bed so they could move their location for the day. The smell of breakfast cooking and coffee being made managed to get him out of bed with less difficulty, but still difficult nonetheless. He just wasn't an early riser, but the others couldn't seem to accept that.

This time it was Gladiolus dragging him out of the sleeping back, giving him a few hearty pats on the back as the prince rubbed his eyes, a few grumbles of complaint coming from underneath his breath as he trudged out of the tent. Ignis stood at the grill, flipping an egg in the pan with their chocobo companion standing next to him, impatiently waiting to be fed. Luckily it seemed to be the brunettes last egg to make, as they were all soon seated with a plate of delicious breakfast and a cup of coffee (though Ignis was a bit more reluctant to share that. rarely anything could part Ignis from his dear ebony coffee).

Prompto was loud and extroverted, but he had now grown quiet despite his earlier eagerness of being served breakfast, gaze focused on his eggs as he prodded them with his fork. His lips moved silently, words mumbled underneath his breath as he prodded one of his eggs, the yolk splitting as his fork pierced the top of it.

Noctis leaned over to him to listen to his mumbled words. The blonde the blonde didn't to notice, occupied with whatever he was doing,

"I've got sunshine in my pocket, I'm just right here in my zone…"

"That song again?"

He flinched in surprise, almost toppling over his meal as he turned to face Noctis, stopping the plate from falling off his lap last minute.

"What?"

"That song. We were all singing it earlier in the car."

"Yeah, it was just in my mind for some reason. I like it, y'know?"

His cheeks reddened as he spoke sheepishly, somewhat embarrassed from being caught singing the song.

"What was the next line? Something about a tapedeck?"

A smile began to form on the blonde's face.

"It was: I've got Sade in my tapedeck, I'm just movin' right along…"

And for a second time, their group filled with song for a minutes yet again.

The third time was the worst.

They had been so sure it would work. They had trained and worked for the moment where they would take down Niflheim, fought for the moment to avenge their dead King. They had risen back from the bottom they had been forced to and climbed their way to the stop. And they had been so certain that this would be the last time they would have to fight.

And it was, just not in the way they wanted.

Rain was depressing, so it was only natural that it would be raining at the moment. Prompto cursed the rain under his breath, cursed every drop that fell down on his cheek and mingled with the tears coming out of his eyes. He cursed every moment they had been through. He cursed the time Insomina fell. He cursed the time Niflheim took over their country. He cursed the time they had to drive over the speed limit because their city was falling. He cursed every man and woman that had fought in the war. He cursed the warriors and the citizens and even his own friends. He cursed himself. Most of all, he cursed that song.

He cursed the stupid song that had made him feel happy, made them feel happy. He cursed every moment his mind went back to that song, cursed every single lyric he sang from it and cursed every time they sung it together. He hated that song so much. He hated false hope, and that's exactly what that song was.

Prompto was sure he wasn't the only one crying. Had he been able to summon the energy to take a closer look at the others then he would have, but every part of him felt so damn hopeless. Finally he was out of sunshine.

He thought Ignis didn't like the song, so when he heard the first line of the first verse coming from the brunette, he was surprised.

"I've got sunshine in my pocket, I'm just right here in my zone…"

He looked at Ignis.

"I've got Sade in my tape deck, I'm just movin' right along…"

And then he looked at Noctis.

"All these haters really love me, they just pretend that they don't…"

The next was Gladiolus.

"Cause I've got sunshine in my pocket, I'm just right here in my zone…"

And then it was all three of them, and all of their gazes settled on the blonde, waiting for the next line of the hook. He almost left them hanging. Prompto would never leave his clique hanging.

"In my zone…"

"Zo-oh-oh-oh, oh, oh, one…"

"In my zone, zo-oh-oh-oh, oh, oh, one…"

"In my zone, zo-oh-oh-oh, oh, oh, one…"

"When I'm in my, when I'm in my…"

"Zo-oh-oh-oh, oh, oh, one…"

In my zone. 


End file.
